It Was Meant To Be
by csimiamilover
Summary: EC. Horatio and his girlfriend, Lauren Spalding form a plan to bring Eric and Calleigh together.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1- Cheaters Never Win

I couldn't help but stare, anger coursing through my body. _"How could Jake do this to Calleigh"? _I thought, I could hear Horatio talking but I wasn't really paying attention. He waved his hand in front of my face, causing me to snap out of my thoughts.

"What's wrong sweetheart"? He asked, concern written all over his face. We were having dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant, The Pink Place. The evening was perfect, and the conversation came easy until I saw Jake enter the restaurant, his hands wrapped around a brunette's waist. He was having dinner with another woman while Calleigh was home all alone! That bastard!

"Horatio, don't look but Jake's with another woman". I informed him, my eyes fixed on the sight. My voice was strained with anger, I took a deep breath to keep myself from waltzing over to their table and giving Jake a piece of my mind! I couldn't watch Jake kiss the other woman's neck, I looked away with disgust, I could feel my anger rising.

Horatio took my hand in his, gently squeezing it. "Calm down sweetheart, you don't want to cause a scene". His voice was soft, almost calming. "You're right, but I do want to slap the son of a bitch"! I exclaimed.

Horatio rose from his seat, grabbing his suit jacket off the chair. "I think it would be better if we left". I nodded in agreement, rising as well. As we walked toward the exit, I kept my eyes straight ahead. Stepping outside, the cool air hit me immediately, it was refreshing and it calmed my nerves a bit.

Walking toward the Hummer, I pulled my cell phone out of my purse, preparing myself to call Calleigh. Horatio took my arm, guiding me in the darkness. I dialed Calleigh's number, holding my breath for a moment.

"Hello". A perky female voice answered the phone on the third ring.

I let out a breath before continuing, climbing into the passenger seat of the hummer.

"Calleigh it's me, Lauren". I said into the phone.

"Hey Lauren, what's up"? She asked, cheerfully.

"Calleigh, I need to tell you something important". I said into the phone, my voice tight with anger.

"Ok, is something wrong"? Her tone changed from cheerful to worried.

"I saw Jake with another woman at the Pink Place". I said, getting straight to the point, I could hear silence, followed by her soft breathing.

The words hit Calleigh like a ton of bricks. She froze, her whole body paralyzed. Her heart stopped, the words hanging in the air.

TBC..


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of It Was Meant To Be

"_I saw Jake having dinner with another woman at the Pink Place". _The words kept replaying themselves in her mind, she hung up the phone, not moving from the spot she was standing in. Calleigh felt numb as she stood there, the phone in her hand. Her mouth was dry, her throat starting to burn. "How could Jake do this to me"? Calleigh thought, as much as she was hurt she couldn't cry. The tears refused to fall, she felt like she couldn't produce the tears that were supposed to come with this type of pain.

Deep inside, anger started to rise, pushing the pain and sadness to the bottom of her soul. "I deserve much better than this, it's his loss not mine". The blonde reassured herself. The numbness she was feeling earlier started to vanish, disappearing a little bit at a time. Crossing the living room, and taking long strides toward the light switch on the cream colored wall beside the front door, the ballistics expert flipped the lights off. The darkness was cool, refreshing almost.

The blonde closed her eyes, trying to get a grip on her emotions. What she was feeling she couldn't quite explain in words. She felt a mixture of hurt, and anger but at the same time she felt relief. Calleigh could tell her relationship with Jake was going downward but a part of her couldn't accept that fact. But for him to cheat on her with another woman drew the line, anger flooded her entire body, taking over her emotions.

She walked over to the beige colored couch, flopping onto the piece of the furniture. The leather was cool against her bottom, leaning back into the cool leather the blonde CSI closed her eyes again. She stayed like that for what felt like minutes but in reality it was hours. Calleigh opened her eyes, her senses alert now when she heard the front door open. The anger that had subsided, returned with a vengeance.

Jake entered the condo, a confused expression on his face. His eyes surveyed the living room the best they could in the darkness, finally resting on the figure sitting on the couch. "Calleigh, why is it dark in here"? he asked, slightly concerned, flipping the lights on.

The blonde jerked her head in the direction of his voice, her green eyes flashing with anger. She rose from the couch, walking over to her cheating boyfriend. "Where were you this evening Jake"? She asked, her voice strained with anger.

Jake looked at her with innocence. "I was having dinner with some of the guys". He replied coolly, not understanding why he was being interrogated.

"_Look at him, acting all innocent". _The ballistics expert thought bitterly, taking a step toward him.

"Really Jake, then how come Lauren saw you having dinner with another woman"! She yelled, her southern accent was heavy.

Jake backed up a few steps, seeing the anger flashing in her eyes he taught that action was best for his health.

"She's lying, she's just jealous of you Calleigh"! He yelled back.

Calleigh grew furious, restraining herself from lunging at the brunette. "Don't bring Lauren into his, this is your mistake".

"How could you do this to me Jake, I loved you and he go and do this to me". There was a hint of sadness in her tone.

Jake dropped his gaze to the floor, remaining silent. She stared at him in disbelief.

"Just leave, get out of my house"! She screamed.

Jake backed up toward the front door, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I'm sorry Calleigh". He whispered as he turned around and opened the front door.

Calleigh slammed the door shut behind him, locking it. Not a single tear fell from her green eyes, proving how emotionally strong the blonde ballistics expert was.

TBC..


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Calleigh rolled over on her side, yawning. She really wasn't a morning person! The alarm clock on the nightstand beside her bed went off, blaring. The blonde sighed, hitting the snooze button after some hesitation. The ballistics expert had tossed and turned most of the night, having a lot of things on her mind. But once she cleared her head, the sleep came easily.

She climbed out of bed, her feet touching the cold hardwood floors. Walking over to the window, the blonde drew the satin curtains, sunlight flooding into the master bedroom, casting a golden color. Calleigh walked over to her closet, trying to decide what to wear to work. After some debating, she finally choose a black short sleeved blouse, and black dress pants to match.

The blonde ballistics expert wandered into the hallway, tucking a strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear. She strolled into the bright kitchen, her heels echoing loudly on the linoleum floor, making herself a cup of coffee.

She forced herself to push all thoughts of Jake out of her head, knowing the touchy subject would only make her angry and stressed out.

Calleigh felt more anger than hurt, probably because she sensed the relationship was on the rocks. Suddenly, she found herself thinking about her relationship with a certain Cuban CSI. She smiled at the thoughts of Eric while she sipped her steaming hot coffee quietly.

Finishing her coffee, the female CSI placed her ceramic mug into the sink. She grabbed her badge, and service weapon off the kitchen counter, clipping the badge onto her hip, and placing the firearm into it's holster at her side. She grabbed her cell phone and headed out the front door.

The sunshine was warm on her pale skin as she walked toward her car parked in the driveway. Calleigh climbed into the driver's seat, turning the engine over and the radio on. After buckling up and adjusting her mirror she put the car into reverse and backed out of the paved driveway. The platinum blonde put the car into drive and sped off toward the freeway.

20 minutes later, Calleigh pulled into the Miami Dade Crime Lab parking lot, parking her black Corolla into her usual spot. Slamming the car door shut, the blonde locked her car, striding toward the front entrance, her heels clicking on the pavement. The ballistics expert stepped into the bright foyer, the cold air hitting her immediately. She greeted a few colleagues as they passed, making her way over to the reception area.

"Good morning Paula". Calleigh greeted the perky receptionist. Paula smiled politely, handing Calleigh her messages. She scanned her messages briefly, making a mental note to call a few friends back. The platinum blonde looked up, and saw Eric approaching. Her heart raced at the sight of the Cuban CSI.

Eric grabbed his messages from Paula, giving her a warm smile before turning toward Calleigh. "Hey Cal, how are you"? He asked warmly, a look of sympathy on his face.

Calleigh nodded her head slowly. "I'm fine, did Lauren tell you about…". Her voice trailed off. Eric rested his messages on the reception desk, turning slightly to come face to face with the blonde.

"She did, and I'm sorry that happened to you". He put his hand on her shoulder gently, Calleigh felt warm inside as he pulled her into a hug. "I'm always here for you Cal, you know that right"? The young Cuban asked.

"Of course Eric". They pulled apart, looking into each other's eyes. The moment was perfect until their cell phones went off.

"We've got a call out". Eric informed her, after checking his cell phone.

The two investigators walked together to the parking garage in silence. That warm feeling Calleigh felt remained as they strode toward the hummers.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of It Was Meant To Be

Eric stepped out into the Miami sunshine, walking around the silver hummer to open the passenger door for Calleigh. The platinum blonde climbed out of the SUV, flashing the young Cuban a warm smile, her CSI kit in her right hand. The two investigators walked up the path that led to the front door of the victim's two story home in a comfortable silence.

Stepping inside the home, Calleigh scanned the living room, her eyes resting on the corpse laying beside the wooden coffee table, the medical examiner kneeling beside the young man. She set her kit down, and pulled on her latex gloves, Eric doing the same.

"Hey Alexx, what happened to this guy"? Eric asked the medical examiner. Alexx Woods glanced up from the corpse she was examining, a look of sorrow plastered on her face, her sympathy for the victim radiating off of her. "Looks like he died from blunt force trauma, an object struck him on the back of the head, no defensive wounds, but I found a few bruises on his abdomen". She explained, continuing her work.

Calleigh worked the area around the body, her green eyes locked on the carpeted floor, searching for any valuable evidence. She worked silently, and efficiently. Making her way over to the coffee table, the victim's resting place, she glanced at the mail on the table. "Our victim's name is Jarrod Blooms". She announced, going through the mail but finding nothing significant. As Calleigh searched the rest of the living room, she could feel Eric's warm brown eyes watching her, studying her. Somehow she found that comforting. Shrugging the thoughts away, the ballistics expert continued her search for evidence.

Eric searched the freshly painted kitchen. The kitchen was fairly large, with granite counter-tops. The cabinets were a maroon color, in the right hand corner sat a small glass table with two stools. The young Cuban made his way over to the glass table, the sleek black laptop resting on the table grabbing his attention. He opened the laptop, hitting the power button to find out the laptop is password protected.

"Hey Cal, I found a laptop on the kitchen table. It's password protected, so I'll get it to Lauren". He called out, grabbing the laptop off the glass table gently, and placing it under his arm. Eric exited the kitchen, the laptop still under his arm. His eyes met with Calleigh's sparkling green ones. "I'm taking this back to the lab".

Calleigh nodded in agreement. "That's fine with me, I'll finish up here and meet you at the lab in an hour or so". Eric gave her a small nod before walking to the front door, and exiting the home.

With her back turned away from Calleigh, Alexx said, "I heard about the Jake situation, how are you holding up sweetie"? She asked, her voice soft. Calleigh shrugged her shoulders, even though Alexx couldn't see the response. "I don't know, I guess I'm handling it okay". She replied, studying the photos on the fireplace mantle.

Two tall male attendants entered the living room, dressed in white scrubs, one was brown haired, the other blonde. They lifted Mr. Blooms onto a stretcher and carried the body away. On her way out Alexx said, "Maybe you and Eric should get together".

TBC..


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was sick all week. Enjoy, reviews are always appreciated!

Eric entered the bright foyer at approximately 3 PM, the sleek black laptop discovered at the Blooms crime scene under his right arm. As he passed by the reception desk, Paula flashed him a warm smile which he kindly returned. He walked down the hallway in silence, trying to keep himself focused on his task instead of personal matters.

Knocking on the glass door to the audio/visual lab, he waited patiently for me to peel my eyes away from the computer screen I was staring at, my long fingers flying across the keyboard. I looked over at the figure standing in the doorway, a smile forming on my face. "Hey Eric, what can I do for you"? I asked.

He entered the lab, setting the laptop down on the desk where I was working.

"I found this laptop, this morning at a homicide. It's password protected and I was-"

I interrupted. "Wondering If I could crack the password for you"?

Eric gave me a small nod, grinning. "Yes, since you're the expert".

I opened the black laptop, pressing the power button. The laptop came to life, a blue welcome screen appeared, followed by a screen asking for a password. I tucked a strand of silky brown hair behind my ear, my eyes locked on the screen.

My fingers flew across the keyboard, the only sound in the lab was the sound of the keys as I typed.

After a few failed attempts, I turned to Eric, my frustration visible on my pale face. "Give me some time to crack the password, and I'll page you when I'm done".

He smiled, turning on his heel. "Thanks Lauren". He called over his shoulder. I watched him walk into the hallway, stopping to converse with Calleigh. Being the nosy person I am, I watched the scene with interest. Watching the pair communicate and interact with each other, in a trusting way, the chemistry between the two was obvious.

Looking away, I got an idea. Pulling out my cell phone I dialed Horatio's number.

Alexx placed Mr. Blooms personal effects on a small table to her right with care. She knew he had family, and friends who would be wanting his stuff, possibly finding comfort in the items. She turned her attention to the corpse on her autopsy table, her sympathy reflected on her warm face. As the medical examiner made the Y incision, the air in the morgue turned from chilly to ice cold, the room was blanketed in complete silence. As she performed the autopsy, she studied the bruises on the victim's shoulders. They were large and bluish green in color. Alexx wrote her observation down on her report where she kept track of her findings. The morgue doors swing open, revealing the blonde ballistics expert. She entered the room silently, a frown on her face.

"Hey Alexx, can you tell me what happened to Mr. Blooms"? She asked softly in her southern accent. Alexx looked over at her. "He was struck with an object on the back of the head, causing him to hit the coffee table as he fell, leaving large bruises on his shoulders". She explained quietly.

Calleigh nodded satisfied with the findings, turning on her heel she called over her shoulder, "Thanks Alexx".

Valera processed the DNA samples Calleigh brought her, waiting for the results to print. The lab technician hummed softly to herself as she walked over to the printer, grabbing the DNA report from the tray. She scanned the printout, the blood found on the living room wall was a match to a Cassie Manor.

Their first suspect.

TBC..


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Of It Was Meant To Be

Cassie Manor sat straight up in her chair, her brown eyes staring straight ahead. She had silky shoulder-length brown hair and pretty brown eyes that seemed innocent. The young woman was dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and a black sweatshirt. She turned her head toward the door when she heard someone entering the quiet, bright interrogation room.

Eric Delko took a seat across from the young woman, the Blooms case file in his hands. Cassie stared at the young Cuban CSI shyly.

Eric: "Ms. Manor do you know why you are here"?

Cassie: "No, not really".

Delko opened the case file, taking the DNA report out of the folder and sliding it across the table.

Cassie eyed the report, appearing slightly nervous.

Cassie: "What's this"?

Eric: "We found your blood on Jarrod Blooms living room wall".

Cassie's eyes widened, shocked.

Cassie: "You think I killed Jarrod"!?

Eric: "Can you explain why your blood was on his living room wall"?

Cassie looked away for a moment, mentally debating what and how much information she should share with the CSI.

She finally spoke up. "I work as a house-keeper for Jarrod part-time, and I cut my hand picking up broken glass" Cassie explained.

Eric gathered up the file folder and rose from his seat. "We'll see if your story checks out".

At the end of the shift, I logged off the desktop computer I was working on, and hung my white lab coat up on a hook by the glass door. Taking a last look at the room from the doorway, I turned the light off, and wandered into the hallway. My heels echoed softly behind me as I walked down the hallway toward the lobby.

My body ached all over, my exhaustion evident on my face. Stopping by reception I checked my messages for the last time that day, waiting for Horatio as I skimmed over my messages. Looking up, I saw him approaching.

"Hey sweetheart". He said softly stopping short in front of me.

"Hey Horatio, I wanted to talk to you about something in the car". I said, following him toward the elevator.

As we waited for the elevator, he looked over at me, a small tired smile on his face. "What did you want to talk to me about"? He asked, curiously. The elevator doors opened and we stepped inside. He pushed the down button. "You'll see". I simply replied, leaning against the wall.

The doors opened to the parking garage, we stepped off strolling toward the hummer arm in arm in a comfortable silence. Horatio opened the passenger door for me, I climbed in shutting the door. He walked over to the driver's side, getting in.

He turned the engine over, and put the hummer in drive. Speeding off toward the exit, and onto the street he finally looked over at me. "Are you going to tell me what you were so excited about when you called me this afternoon"?

I glanced over at him, smiling. "I saw Eric and Calleigh talking in the hallway when Eric dropped off the laptop from the Blooms household, and I think they have feelings for each other". I explained, replaying the scene in my head.

He shook his head, grinning. "You're not going to play matchmaker again are you"? He asked.

I shook my head. "_We're _going to play matchmaker". I corrected him.

We came to a stop at a red light. "And how are we going to do that exactly"? Horatio inquired.

I leaned in closer and replied, smiling at the brilliance of my idea.

'_What am I getting myself into'? _He asked himself after hearing my idea, after some arguing he finally gave in and decided to help me.

TBC..


	7. Chapter 7

_The Next Day_

I entered the bright foyer, making a beeline for the audio/visual lab to finish working on the laptop from the Blooms homicide. Walking in the hallway, I greeted a few colleagues, the usual "Good Morning", followed by a friendly smile. I walked into the AV lab, flipped the light switch on.

Leaning against the doorframe I took in my sanctuary. The desktop computer I spend most of my day at sat in the upper corner of the lab. Snapping out of my thoughts I took a seat at the desk, and powered up the laptop from the Blooms case.

I was so into my work that I didn't hear Calleigh enter the room. She cleared her throat to get my attention, causing me to jump.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you". She said with her southern accent.

"No problem, just didn't hear you come in". I turned in my seat to face the platinum blonde ballistics expert.

I tried not to smile but "the idea", as I like to call it, kept bugging me to the point where I couldn't sleep last night.

Calleigh smiled warmly, her long, straight, platinum blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail. "Did you get anything from the laptop"? She asked, her green eyes locked with mine.

"I found some interesting emails between Mr. Blooms and another gentlemen. They were business partners, Mr. Blooms didn't want to expand the company but his business partner did". I explained.

Calleigh turned on her heel. "Could be motive, thanks".

"Calleigh, wait I wanted to ask you something". She froze, turning around to face me again.

"Yes". She waited patiently for me to continue.

I tucked a strand of brown hair behind my ear. "Do you want to go to dinner with Horatio, Eric, and I tonight"?

She smiled, nodding her head. "Sure, see you guys tonight". She beamed cheerfully.

Horatio couldn't believe Lauren had talked him into going along with her "plan". He didn't like playing matchmaker but sometimes she could be very convincing, and if he didn't go along with her idea she would just keep bugging him until he did.

He knocked on the door to the fingerprints lab where Delko was examining the laptop discovered at the scene. Eric looked up, motioning for his boss to enter.

Horatio walked into the lab. "Hey Eric, did you get any prints from the laptop"? He asked.

Delko nodded. "I found some smudged ones, but they're are a few usable prints I still have to test". He explained, bringing his attention back to the laptop in front of him.

"Good work, oh and Eric, Lauren wanted you to join her, Calleigh, and I tonight at her favorite restaurant for dinner". He stated.

Eric smiled. "Sure, sounds like fun".

Horatio nodded, turned on his heel and walked out into the hallway.

_Later That Evening_

Calleigh looked at her reflection in her bathroom mirror, making sure she looked okay. She touched up her make-up, and walked out into her bedroom. Grabbing her purse off the queen-sized bed that stood in the center of the room, she exited the room, heading for the front door. Calleigh arrived at the restaurant Lauren had suggested they meet for dinner. Walking into the dining area, she took in her surroundings. The dining room was fairly large, the walls painted a light green color. Booths aligned the walls on both sides, with smaller tables in the center of the room. She looked around the room, her eyes resting on the group gathered in a booth in the back.

The ballistics expert made her way over to the table. Lauren looked up from the menu she was reading and waved at her, a smile forming on her face. She waved back, coming closer to the booth.

"Hey guys, looks like everyone's here already. Nice choice of restaurant Lauren". She complimented cheerfully, sliding into the booth beside Eric.

"Glad you could join us Calleigh". Horatio said, exchanging glances with Lauren.

"Thanks for inviting me". She said, sending a smile his way.

Eric studied her silently for a moment before speaking. "You look pretty tonight". He complimented.

She blushed, giving him a small, embarrassed smile. "Thanks".

Lauren grabbed her menu again. "I'm starving, let's order".

As if on cue, a blonde haired waiter approached their booth. He took their orders, and stalked off.

The conversation was light, they discussed the case briefly then moved on to non- work related conversations. Halfway through the evening, Lauren's cell phone rang.

"Excuse me". She said, answering her phone.

Nodding as she spoke, she said, "We'll be right there", then hung up.

The brunette lab technician slipped her phone into her purse and stood. "That was Frank, Horatio and I are needed back at the lab". She explained, apologizing for leaving so early.

Horatio slid out of the booth, standing beside the brunette lab technician, letting Lauren take the lead.

She looked at Calleigh, and Eric and smiled. "You two enjoy your _date, _and we'll see you guys tomorrow". She commented, emphasizing the word date.

They said their final good-byes and the couple walked off.

Calleigh turned to Eric, grinning. "I think we were set-up". She said with her southern drawl.

Eric laughed. "I know there was a reason they were acting so funny".

His expression changed as he looked at Calleigh, and realized how beautiful she looked that evening.

She noticed him staring at her, and blushed. He made a bold move and squeezed her hand gently. "But I'm glad they set us up on this date".

She looked into his brown eyes, and her heart melted, right there in the restaurant.

THE END!


End file.
